What will be the best answer for the question for a HR professional in an interview for the question,"What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?"
3
Dear Das500,
The skillfulness of the interviewer lies in asking questions whereby the interviewee should not come to know whether knowledge level is assessed or a particular competency is being assessed. A seasoned interviewer generally avoids a direct question. Rather he/she asks a series of questions and understands the mindset of the job candidate or approach towards work.
If the interviewer asks a childlike question "What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?", then it raises a question on the interviewer's ability to be an interviewer! It is not advisable to join such an organisation where unfit interviewers work.
Reply to your Query: - When a question of this kind is asked, then the interviewee may tell that I always try to improve my self-awareness. However, as of now, I am yet to come across the "greatest flaw". Nevertheless, your organisation may conduct a psychometric test like MBTI or DISC. It will help both of us!
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
The skillfulness of the interviewer lies in asking questions whereby the interviewee should not come to know whether knowledge level is assessed or a particular competency is being assessed. A seasoned interviewer generally avoids a direct question. Rather he/she asks a series of questions and understands the mindset of the job candidate or approach towards work.
If the interviewer asks a childlike question "What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?", then it raises a question on the interviewer's ability to be an interviewer! It is not advisable to join such an organisation where unfit interviewers work.
Reply to your Query: - When a question of this kind is asked, then the interviewee may tell that I always try to improve my self-awareness. However, as of now, I am yet to come across the "greatest flaw". Nevertheless, your organisation may conduct a psychometric test like MBTI or DISC. It will help both of us!
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Dear Colleague,
This is a very tricky question many senior interviewers ask in not only in HR but also in many functional Interviews. -"What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?"
This is a deeper question like brining out the Big-Ice Rock by touching the ice berk. The interviewer is very clever in asking this question to bring out from your mouth the deeper facts that normally many candidates forcefully for the sake of answering, they relate some past incident and start explaining it in a detailed manner. From the answer, the interviewer try to evaluate the candidate very judgmentally. Here more than facts, an intelligent answer will be very opt in my view. We use to ask such questions in some of our BEI type of interviews with the support of psychologists which is different from these type of common interview scenario. Here the best way to reply is " There is nothing like Flaw in Leadership but every decision as a leader I took was correct in the given circumstances and facts of each situation. I strive to take the right decisions always and as a leader the decisions are flawless as it is taken after deeper thoughts. But as you know all decisions may not give the desired results immediately which you will also agree but may give result in the long run" - This type of answer will be good in such interview scenarios.
From India, Chennai
This is a very tricky question many senior interviewers ask in not only in HR but also in many functional Interviews. -"What is your greatest flaw in your leadership style?"
This is a deeper question like brining out the Big-Ice Rock by touching the ice berk. The interviewer is very clever in asking this question to bring out from your mouth the deeper facts that normally many candidates forcefully for the sake of answering, they relate some past incident and start explaining it in a detailed manner. From the answer, the interviewer try to evaluate the candidate very judgmentally. Here more than facts, an intelligent answer will be very opt in my view. We use to ask such questions in some of our BEI type of interviews with the support of psychologists which is different from these type of common interview scenario. Here the best way to reply is " There is nothing like Flaw in Leadership but every decision as a leader I took was correct in the given circumstances and facts of each situation. I strive to take the right decisions always and as a leader the decisions are flawless as it is taken after deeper thoughts. But as you know all decisions may not give the desired results immediately which you will also agree but may give result in the long run" - This type of answer will be good in such interview scenarios.
From India, Chennai
Dear colleague,
The interviewer, in asking this question, is assuming the following:
1. That you are occupying a leadership position.
2 That you have a leadership style and
3 That you have flawed sometime.
Think quickly if these assumptions apply to you in toto.
If yes, you could narrate candidly the experience / incident where you flawed.
If you had never analysed yourself on this aspect, and facing this question in the interview for the first time then please be frank and say that you had no occasion to test your leadership style but you would love to test it and improve upon it.
In the absence of real experience in this regard, you have to think on your feet and offer convicing reply to this loaded question which will truly speak of the person you really are rather than choosing, on the spur of the moment, any reply to make it appear as an attempt to unduly 'impress' the interviewer.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
The interviewer, in asking this question, is assuming the following:
1. That you are occupying a leadership position.
2 That you have a leadership style and
3 That you have flawed sometime.
Think quickly if these assumptions apply to you in toto.
If yes, you could narrate candidly the experience / incident where you flawed.
If you had never analysed yourself on this aspect, and facing this question in the interview for the first time then please be frank and say that you had no occasion to test your leadership style but you would love to test it and improve upon it.
In the absence of real experience in this regard, you have to think on your feet and offer convicing reply to this loaded question which will truly speak of the person you really are rather than choosing, on the spur of the moment, any reply to make it appear as an attempt to unduly 'impress' the interviewer.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
If a leader can identify the greatest flaw, he would have taken corrective action.
No body survives as a leader in case "the greatest flaw" is a permanent fixture.
Yes, a leader may take a course of action with the available information , which may turn out to be wrong course.
A sensible leader realizes this ,when he has made a wrong decision, and takes remedial action .
In case there is a personality flaw, the leader will soon not remain a leader in corporate world
Col.Suresh Rathi
From India, Delhi
No body survives as a leader in case "the greatest flaw" is a permanent fixture.
Yes, a leader may take a course of action with the available information , which may turn out to be wrong course.
A sensible leader realizes this ,when he has made a wrong decision, and takes remedial action .
In case there is a personality flaw, the leader will soon not remain a leader in corporate world
Col.Suresh Rathi
From India, Delhi
There are some flaws in every leader, the attempt has to be to show such flaws to be your positive strength. For instance if you say you become very anxious while dealing with any issue would show your determination, your commitment and your motivation to excel. Another answer could be your result orientation. An evasive answer puts the person in a negative manner. While a candid confession is not appreciated it is necessary to come out with a convincing answer. Probably you may have to think of a couple of instances where such trait was evident and how the organisation benefitted from it.
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
Dear Das500,
Well, gentleman, you have raised a query on "What Is Your Greatest Flaw In Your Leadership Style?". Your post merits evaluation of the very question you have asked the members of this forum.
The post does not give background information. Whether the originator of the post has raised this post in the capacity of interviewer or interviewee is not known. Furthermore, we do not know the logic behind raising the query. Therefore, raising a post on the public forum sans sufficient information, can we consider this as a flaw of the leadership style?
The senior members of this forum were generous and have given their replies. Each reply has depth and has a good application of logic. However, there is no formal acknowledgement. Not expressing gratitude to those who have given replies is nothing but imperviousness or imperiousness. Can we consider this as a flaw of the leadership style?
You have raised two other posts on the day this post was raised. Though the other two posts did not get sufficient replies, these too met the same fate of imperviousness. It appears that you have become too ensconced in your world that even after a week since the posts were raised, you do not have time even to pay lip service also! Therefore, remaining disconnected shows a lack of humility. Can we consider a lack of humbleness as a flaw of the leadership style?
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Well, gentleman, you have raised a query on "What Is Your Greatest Flaw In Your Leadership Style?". Your post merits evaluation of the very question you have asked the members of this forum.
The post does not give background information. Whether the originator of the post has raised this post in the capacity of interviewer or interviewee is not known. Furthermore, we do not know the logic behind raising the query. Therefore, raising a post on the public forum sans sufficient information, can we consider this as a flaw of the leadership style?
The senior members of this forum were generous and have given their replies. Each reply has depth and has a good application of logic. However, there is no formal acknowledgement. Not expressing gratitude to those who have given replies is nothing but imperviousness or imperiousness. Can we consider this as a flaw of the leadership style?
You have raised two other posts on the day this post was raised. Though the other two posts did not get sufficient replies, these too met the same fate of imperviousness. It appears that you have become too ensconced in your world that even after a week since the posts were raised, you do not have time even to pay lip service also! Therefore, remaining disconnected shows a lack of humility. Can we consider a lack of humbleness as a flaw of the leadership style?
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
Yes, a leader may take a course of action with the available information , which may turn out to be wrong course.
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From India, Lucknow
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From India, Lucknow
As for as I self-evaluate myself, I think my leadership was balanced and helped team members to achieve organizational goals along with achieving their personal aspirations. My leadership style was a blend of authoritative and supportive traits and tries to push the slowest one and maintain the pace of the fastest one in the team.
Nobody is perfect, so am I. Along with positive traits, I found a few weaknesses in my leadership style. One of them was my spoken language which hinders me to give a personal touch to team members but I made sure that they are on the same page and try every technology means to make them understand our expectations.
On a whole, my leadership style has a scope of improvement and I am gradually working on my shortcomings to guide my team better in every aspect be it technical, personal or emotional.
From India, Noida
Nobody is perfect, so am I. Along with positive traits, I found a few weaknesses in my leadership style. One of them was my spoken language which hinders me to give a personal touch to team members but I made sure that they are on the same page and try every technology means to make them understand our expectations.
On a whole, my leadership style has a scope of improvement and I am gradually working on my shortcomings to guide my team better in every aspect be it technical, personal or emotional.
From India, Noida
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